...Case-Study Method and Report Guidelines Why case studies? “Decision making is what managers do, so do Project Managers” The decisions of managers directly influence revenues, costs, and profits of an agribusiness firm. If you are to be successful in a management career, you must learn to be a good decision maker. You must develop the ability to apply classroom training in business and economics to problem solving so that you can learn how to (1) make decision making easier, (2) improve the analytical quality of decisions, (3) reduce the time required to make decisions, and (4) increase the frequency of correct decisions. As you discuss cases with your fellow students, you will learn that decision making is often a confrontational activity involving people with different points of view. Most important, you will learn how to work toward consensus while tolerating legitimate differences of opinion. The Seven Steps of Problem Analysis 1. Read the case thoroughly. To understand fully what is happening in a case, it is necessary to read the case carefully and thoroughly. You may want to read the case rather quickly the first time to get an overview of the industry, the company, the people, and the situation. Read the case again more slowly, making notes as you go. 2. Define the central issue. Many cases will involve several issues or problems. Identify the most important problems and separate them from the more trivial issues. After identifying what appears to be a major...
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...Case Study Method The case method of teaching is widely used in business and science education today. By definition, a case is a written account of an actual condition that has occurred. This account is used as a real life example of a situation that can be analyzed by the students to teach concepts related to course study. Most often teaching with the case method requires facilitation and discussion of the account by the students (Foran, 2002). The aim is to analyze and apply the various course concepts as they pertain to the events in the case study. Some of the tools used by the teacher in the case method may be debate, or collaboration by placing students in groups. William Perry is a psychologist professor at Harvard and has commented on what is known as the Perry model for student learning. During early education students learn in what is called the dualist mode, where educators are the authority figures that students model and accept as 100% accurate in everything they say (Herreid, 2004). These authority figures lecture them on what is right and wrong and the students do not question this authority. The answers given by the teachers are the only correct ones and so the student learns to memorize these answers. During tests these answers are the only ones accepted as correct. Perry notes that this lecture mode only emphasizes the dualist mode where students are not allowed to think for themselves. He also makes the point that this is not how science works (Herreid...
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...A) DEFINITION A case method is a documented study of a situation that transpires in real life or it can be about a fictional situation, which is used as teaching or learning tool in business schools and firms. These studies allow students evaluate cases and provide their own interpretations on potential solutions for the provided business scenario. Furthermore, the case method can also be described as something that gives you a detailed explanation of a company, industry, person, or project over a given period of time. Within the explanation, information about the company’s objectives, strategies, challenges, results, recommendations and more can be found. This also poses as a great way to promote interaction between students and instructors to propose insights about the issues in hand and share it with the class. Thus, the case method allows students to get an exposure to the actual functioning of business and other administrations in the real world, make managerial decisions bases on theories and views and enhance students ability to problem solve and make decisions. B) USE Case studies can be utilized in various instances such as class discussions, a company, in management education, etc. Apart from this, the uses of case studies have a variety of benefits. They develop real life business leadership skills, assist in making lectures more engaging and teachable, and help prepare for business settings that require decision-making and develops a better understanding...
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...Observable Methods of Research Case studies and other observable methods of research are designed around investigations that full describe a particular person's, group's or situation's particular and pertinent considerations, actions and reactions, for an extended period of time. Qualitative research that is used to look at individuals, a small group of participants, or a group as a whole naturally yield themselves to case studies. Researchers form case studies by collecting data about the subject or sub-subjects under scrutiny. They employ observations, personal dialogue, procedural etiquette, tests, inspection of records, and collection of writing samples. The reason for this essay is to describe how case studies, psychobiography, archival...
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...Case Study: Janet Name College Case Study: Janet A case study is an in-depth analysis of a person, event, decision, period, project, policy, institution, or other system that is studied holistically by one or more methods. By gathering data and variety of sources and using these different methods, researchers can use scientific methods and perspectives to relate with various patterns and causes for behavior. In the field of psychology, case studies are widely known to help Psychologist’s and researchers with the assistance to help understand and overcome a person’s illness. While examining the “Case Study: Janet’, the use of psychology’s four goals and the modern perspectives were used to help determine the interpretation of the cause. Description Janet was a young girl that grew up in an abusive household that was beaten by her father as a part of a discipline process. Her father never explained why he used such drastic measures, so she grew up thinking that this was acceptable. She presumed that the only way to earn his love and respect was to do better. There was only one positive influence in her life; an aunt, who was rarely around because of the distance between them. Janet learned early to associate love with fear and trying with failure. As Janet grew older, she began to learn that her father might have been wrong. She began to see the regret coming from those actions, and soon realized that she had control. Janet started to guilt her father into...
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...Question 1 Many organizations frequently rely on the insight of consultants to assist them in identifying areas of opportunity, making highly impactful decisions, and gaining additional insights as to the forthcoming direction of their industry. Some of the largest and most reputable consulting firms, such as Booz Allen and McKinsey, work on a global scale with internal divisions that specialize in a number of varying industries. The concept of consultants has been of great debate for many years, as some believe that if there is good management in place, they should be able to lead their organization appropriately without the help of expensive teams from the outside. However, one must remember that a great deal of what makes the daunting price tag of consultants an easily justifiable expense is the extraordinary weight the opinion of outside consultants carries with key influential decision makers. A Forbes magazine article on the topic says, “It really is often about being able to say “XYZ Consultants Inc recommend we do this” as that carries more weight in the internal arguments than “I say we do this” (Worstall, 2012). As a manager at a life insurance company, there a a number of things I would be looking for in the business report I received from the consulting firm I hired before I deem their findings valid. I would first need to understand the intent of the research contained in the business research report. For instance, I would view the findings from one point of...
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...9-376-241 REV. APRIL 16, 2002 JOHN S. HAMMOND Learning by the Case Method The case method is not only the most relevant and practical way to learn managerial skills, it’s exciting and fun. But, it can also be very confusing if you don’t know much about it. This brief note is designed to remove the confusion by explaining how the case method works and then to suggest how you can get the most out of it. Simply stated, the case method calls for discussion of real-life situations that business executives have faced. Casewriters, as good reporters, have written up these situations to present you with the information available to the executives involved. As you review their cases you will put yourself in the shoes of the managers, analyze the situation, decide what you would do, and come to class prepared to present and support your conclusions. How Cases Help You Learn Cases will help you sharpen your analytical skills, since you must produce quantitative and qualitative evidence to support your recommendations. In case discussions, instructors will challenge you and your fellow participants to defend your arguments and analyses. You will hone both your problem-solving and your ability to think and reason rigorously. Because case studies cut across a range of organizations and situations, they provide you with an exposure far greater than you are likely to experience in your day-to-day routine. They also permit you to build knowledge in various management subjects by dealing...
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...CASE METHOD Case study method is said to consist of several deficiencies. In spite of that, it is widely used in management education and training. Many arguments are made for using the case study method for imparting management education. Some of these arguments are: a) Translating Knowledge into Action: The texts always provide the concepts and their logical sequence. The success or failure of the manager depends more on his action and dynamics rather than his conceptual knowledge. The case enables one to decide about the action in a given situation and then relate it to the textual knowledge. The shuttling between precepts and practices will be possible while dealing with a case situation. (b) Opportunity to Analyze: In a case, a reader is getting a good opportunity to analyze and find out the ingredients. While the text gives standard principles, the application would vary based on the actual situations. One who reads the case gets an opportunity to diagnose the problem, evaluate alternatives and finally select a mode of operation that may be right or wrong. Several such decisions will enable one to become an adept decision maker. (c) Opportunity for Self-Determination: In a case study situation, all decisions are taken by the one who reads the case rather than any imposition of answers or solutions by anybody else. Practice makes a man perfect. Cases provide ample opportunities for self determining the case solutions based on one's own analytical and decision...
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...CASE ANALYSIS A case analysis method of study provides experiential education—learning by doing. Therefore, the amount of learning students receive from an individual case is directly related to the amount of work they put into it. A major goal of the use of cases is to allow students to gain experience in problem solving. Cases help students learn to: • develop an understanding of problems, • learn how to dissect the various factors relevant to a problem, • learn how to think creatively about solutions to a problem, • learn to critically and thoroughly evaluate alternative solutions, • learn how to make a final decision—one that you are willing to move forward with and one that you feel confident in supporting. Through the use of cases, students learn that the most obvious solution is not always the best solution. The only way to discover a “best” solution is to consider all (the emphasis here is on the ALL) possible alternatives, to identify the potential positive and negative outcomes for all alternatives possible, and then to select which alternative course of action seems best, based on their analysis, and marketing theory, concepts, and principles. Students need to understand the basic factual and theoretical foundations for marketing management...
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...Case Brief The case brief (or short-case analyses) consist of four major sections. The length of the assessment should be between three and five pages with “1.5” line spacing and margins of one inch and 12pt. font. You should organize the paper with subheadings corresponding to the four following sections. Avoid bullets – you must make connections and articulate what a factor/issue means in the situation and how it influences other factors/issue and possible actions etc. You must demonstrate relevance. In general, please focus your energy on the content and the quality of your assessment. NOTE: This is not a summary of the case but a true case analysis. 1. Problems statement — please, state the “problem” using one paragraph and a few sentences. Try to be clear, precise and concise. Try to formulate the problem from the perspective of the decision maker by highlighting the decision that must be made, the “tasks” he or she has to perform, and the issues that he or she is facing. 2. Situational analysis — this is the “meat” of the case brief, and as such it should be the longest section of the paper. Please do not just repeat the facts of the case. Discuss, integrate, and synthesize the important factors that have a significant bearing on the case — dismiss unimportant irrelevant information. A very useful tool to make this assessment is the SWOT analysis framework (see Exhibit 1.1 in the book for an illustration). Do not feel that you have to discuss all the internal...
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...I. Background of the Problem • The cleaning industry is so much the same, uninteresting and uninspiring. • There are a lot of cleaning brands that don’t make much of a difference from one another in terms of colour, scent, effectiveness, ingredients, and packaging. • Still, there are cleaning brands that have become a household favourite over the years. II. Statement of the Problem • How should Method compete with the leading cleaning brands not just in the short-run but also in the long-term? III. Objectives • Seek not only to clean people’s homes and bodies but also to remove harmful chemicals from our lives as well. • To create efficient and effective cleaning products. • To expand the product market nationally and internationally. IV. SWOT Analysis A. Strengths • Innovative package design. • Ingredients are natural and safe. • Edgy marketing communications in online and traditional media. • Low price for quality good. B. Weaknesses • Lack of bundled or bulk goods. • Not all products are viewed as equally effective. • Still not widely recognized. C. Opportunities • There is a huge market for cleaning products. • Only a few of the cleaning products are “green” or use natural ingredients. • High demand for product in current distribution channels. D. Threats • Leading competitors’ popularity. • Price of product cannot be raised higher than competitors. • Growing number of competitors for cleaning products market. V. Alternative Courses of Action ...
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...and to start the cutting process, are usually requested by the CAM systems as input information. These data are usually strongly influenced by the consolidated experience of the operators, by the specific previous similar machining cases and by several other factors depending on the machining practices. In a project, financed by the Swiss national organization for the industrial research, the authors have developed an expert system (ES) in order to get this information through software processes. The paper shows the structure of this expert system. The ES has been realized through the definition of ontology of components and elements of the machining. The ES includes a very large data base of cutting parameters, and is based on the establishment of rules for the competition between the machining strategies. The ES includes learning methods which are able to identify similar operations. The learning methods are based on the measure of the distance between the actual machining conditions and those already experimented. Therefore the system is able to learn from similar cases. The system has been designed especially for an application in the field of the watch industry which requests a very large spectrum of machining operations and includes also the cases of the HSC. The new expert...
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...the meeting, the interviewer mentioned that Multi Tech uses structured analysis and relies heavily on modeling, prototyping, and CASE tools. Thinking back, you realize that you did not fully understand those terms. As you prepare for an interview with Rainbow's End, a large retail chain, you decide to review some IT terms and concepts. You want to be ready for the following questions: What are the main differences between structured, O-O, and agile development methods? There are several differences between structured, Object-oriented, and agile development analysis methods. Structured analysis employs processes and data separately, whereas Object-oriented uses objects to represent the data and related processes. Object-oriented analysis also takes advantage of object models that combine data, object behaviors, as well as how objects interact and interact with each other. With O-O, the objects and object models can be reused and customized as new needs arise. The combination of the data, processes and object behaviors, along with reusable models, makes the Object-oriented method flexible and more efficient when compared to the more rigid structured analysis ((Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2012, p. 21). The Agile analysis method is normally based on a spiral model that involves revisions developed through feedback from users. While the Agile method can be more flexible and can lead to less risk and better development time, it can still be risky if the user feedback is not...
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...Business Case for HR Self Service Systems Table of Contents Executive Summary 3 Project Overview 3 Business Case for Proposed Project 4 Conclusion 5 References 5 Executive Summary This paper addresses the business case for implementing self service in the IT industry with the aim of gaining higher efficiency for a majority of HR functions and other benefits that can be derived from improved information access. The paper also discusses the various challenges an organization might face while attempting to implement self-service. The business case for self service revolves around reducing administrative costs and gaining better efficiency. It also aims at improving the overall performance and other benefits such as information management, trend analysis and also operational efficiency. The chief argument presented here is that a self-service initiative allows the HR to concentrate more towards the core functions such as people management instead of getting burdened with administrative tasks. While self-service has the ability to improve the service expectations from HR, it may also result in some of the savings being consumed in order to meet the higher quality expectations. However, on the long run, it is bound to reduce expenses to a great extent while enhancing the quality. Self-service also enables an organization to implement flexible work and helps employees to remain connected with the organization through a centralized HR system aimed at remote...
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...Ethics At Airbus 1) In each of the cases described above who benefits and who suffers from the alleged ethical and legal lapses of Airbus? Ans – When we observe across cases, its mostly the state and the airline company who is at loss due to these legal and ethical lapses Airbus – Sabena Case: As long as Van Espen’s case does not prove anything against any party, Airbus has gained significantly from the deal as it would have earned around $5bn order from the deal. The party which suffered significant loss should be the state as the Belgian government had 50.5% stake KAC – Airbus: Airbus gained a much needed order bill of around $1.1bn and possible order of $0.9bn, the employees of KAC Mr Al Mishari and its subsidiary ALAFCO, Dr. Mallalah & Mr El Fekih possibly would have earned (only a possibility) whereas the state of Kuwait higher costs, lost cash, earned higher depreciation costs and probably had to write-off it off India Inc. & Airbus: Airbus like all other cases earned the order book despite Boeing offered a deal to the Indian government $140mn cheaper. The state and eventually the airline paid $140mn more, raising its depreciation costs, debt service costs and got hold of carriers which were not properly tested thus risking the life of passengers Across cases observed, Airbus has been smart enough to save itself a persecution almost anywhere and has got large order books worth billions of dollars acquiring half of the market share but if Airbus is found...
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